Department heads and managers for the Colorado River Indian Tribes met September 16^th to exchange ideas and information. They received updates on local banking services from Wells Fargo and were introduced to new and acting directors.

These meetings are called on a quarterly basis by Chairwoman Flores to ensure communication, cooperation,  collaboration, and coordination among department heads and managers.

Additional topics included CRIT’s travel policies and five-year plans for departments.

The meeting was held in the Mohave Room at the Blue Water Resort and Casino.

Delivering a message of tribal sovereignty and unity, CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores gave opening remarks for a special meeting of the 30 Basin Tribes to discuss Colorado River water policy, allocation, and consultation with native communities. The meeting was held September 13^th at Chairwoman Flores’ request.

In addition to Chairwoman Flores, CRIT Vice Chairman Dwight Lomayesva, Tribal Council members Anisa Patch and Bobby Page also attended the conference held Courtyard Scottsdale Marriott owned by the Salt River Pima Indian Community.

The focus of the meeting was to discuss post-2026 Colorado River Guidelines, which could have a profound impact on CRIT’s water rights, as well as multiple indigenous communities and reservations when it comes to Colorado River water allocations. CRIT has vowed to make sure it has a seat at the table to ensure its rights are protected.

Chairwoman Flores stated in opening remarks that the rights of all tribes must be protected, “The stakes for all of us are too high as to how the post 2026 (Colorado River Guidelines) impacts our water rights so we need to keep in constant communication with our trustee.”

Flores called upon the tribes to work together, “All the tribal nations are unique, but we are bound by one great river, the Colorado River.”

In addition to tribal leaders, United States Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton was also in attendance. Touton said she and federal officials were there to listen, “I can see every single leader here and I know the issues we are working through together as sovereign nations.”

Topics discussed included:
• Status of discussions with the Basin States – Reclamation.
• Alternatives development – will Reclamation protect tribal water rights?
• Schedule of release of documents – what can we expect to see and when?
• Is the consultation process working? How can it be improved?
• Future/follow-up meetings between Tribal Nations and Reclamation.

WASHINGTON – U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on a new policy that requires notifying tribal governments of any new mineral exploration on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The policy aligns with recommendations from the Biden-Harris administration’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Mining Laws, Regulation, and Permitting, which published a report outlining its findings last year.

“With so many of the critical minerals we need for clean energy lying within 35 miles of tribal lands, tribes must have a foremost role in new mining projects,” said Ranking Member Grijalva. “Making sure tribes are notified as early as possible in the mining process is a critical step toward that goal. As we continue to push to reform our antiquated mining system, I want to thank the Biden-Harris administration for their continued commitment to honoring tribal sovereignty and helping to ensure that our transition to a clean energy future is a just one.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

Ranking Member Grijalva has been a longstanding champion for reforming our more than 150-year-old Mining Law of 1872, which has no environmental review or tribal consultation requirements. On May 19, 2023, he and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced House and Senate versions of the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act to modernize our antiquated mining system. Among other important provisions, that legislation requires federal agencies to conduct early and meaningful consultation with tribes prior to permitting mining activities that impact tribal communities.